Print Summit 2020: Promote a listening organisation, says K Shankar

Then he identified five fractals of a lasting organisation — strategy (adaptable, flexible and understood); structure (empowered teams that can be rotated); process (efficient, clinical and interpretable); people (proficient, smart and all season) and technology (next-generation enabling technology).

Next, Shankar spoke about how enabling is an attitude issue and beyond empowerment. He said it is a license to act. Trust, and believe in teams since people are the real assets, he said.

He spoke about a consistent enabling approach which must be followed consistently. He requested the audience to focus on: anticipate the likely change that will impact on the strategy and ensure that strategic goals are adjusted and updated. Then he requested the audience to foster a culture of innovation to allow business units, teams and individuals the freedom to fulfil their objectives creatively.

He said, “Review performance against targets regularly to ensure effective alignment of business units, teams and individuals to key strategic goals. Plus introduce new measurement systems to provide the right milestones of achievement."

Shankar mentioned how we must identify the behaviour which is needed to fulfil these objectives and inculcate these using coaching and other personal support. The introduction of these objectives should be supported with the right communication and consultation. He told the audience, break key goals into business unit, team and individual objectives to create clarity of role; and finally create the right focus, using cross-functional teams that unite the entire organisation.

Shankar spoke about how leaders bring external world into the organisation and create an enabling ecosystem to take the organisation to the world! Herein, he told the audience to promote a listening organisation and to walk the talk even when no one is listening.